Persistent effects of global warming on vegetation growth are regulated by water in China during 2001–2017

Abstract

Global warming can affect vegetation growth, while the tempo-spatial responses of vegetation to climate change remain largely unclear. In this study, we selected China as the study area, and we equally divided the time span into two periods (2001–2009 and 2010–2017). We examined the vegetation indicators, including NIRV, SIF, and GPP, using correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and contribution calculation. The results showed that climate warming overall promoted vegetation growth during the two periods, and vegetation growth showed no acclimation response to climate warming. The effects of climate warming on vegetation growth showed great spatial heterogeneities, with a promoting effect in the southern part of the eastern monsoon region and the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet region, while this effect was not obvious in the arid and semiarid regions of northwest China and the western part of the Qinghai-Tibet region. We argue that the promoting or suppressing effects of climate warming on vegetation are mainly regulated by water availability. Our findings showed the relative persistent effects of climate warming on vegetation growth, and the effects are largely determined by water availability. The results highlight the importance of water availability in vegetation growth under future climate warming scenarios.